Swing crane mechanism



Oct. 28, 19 41. H. MITCHELL 2,260,631

SWING CRANE MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1937 3 Sheets- Sheet l Snow Oct. 28,1941. H. L. MITCHELL SWING CRANE MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 2 u v I Oct. 28, 1941. H. L. MITCHELL 2,260,631

SWING CRANE MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1957 3 She ets-Sheet 3 swam/011/7'0LG/? A 1/70/544 Patented Oct. 28, 1941- SWING CRANE MECHANISM HolgerL. Mitchell, Milwaukee, Wis., asslgnor to Koehrin'g Company, Milwaukee,Wis., a corporation Application May 10, 1937, Serial No. 141,850

. 6 Claims.

This invention appertains to .the art of excavating machines of thecrane type used ordinarily in conjunction with shovel, dragline,clamshell, and similar excavating equipment. The present inventioncomprises improvements in cranes of this class of'the full revolving orpart revolving types in which the crane body is adapted to rotate aboutits turntable axisfor the swinging of the boom and cable apparatus andworking mechanism which is usually carried by said body.

The primary object of the invention has been to design a novelconstruction of two-speed gearing whereby the rotation of the cranebody, termed in the art the swing thereof, may be accomplished byoperation at either of two different speeds.

A secondary objective achieved by the particular construction ofgearingemployed. forthe purposes of the invention has been to combinethetwo-speed gearing combination bfparizs'employed for the swingoperation above referred to with certain of the parts of other two-speedgearing at present utilized in certain types of cranes for the purposeof driving the crane at two trac tion speeds and for the purpose ofoperating cable drum mechanism at two diflerent speeds.

A preferred construction of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a crane of the shoveltype, embodying the invention, the cab or swing body of the crane beingdisposed transversely to the traction means or path of travel of themachine.

Figure 2 is a general top plan view of certain of the gearing, shafts,and drums carried by the platform of the crane body and part of whichforms the driving means for the swing gearing to be hereinafterdescribed.

Figure3 is a sectional view taken about on the line 3-4 of Figure 2,illustrating details of the gearing and operating means forming featuresof the invention.

Figure 4 is aview taken in horizontal section about on the line 4-4 inFigure 3, showing the swing and traction shaft and driving connectionsbetween the same and motor, also certain gearing which participates inthe swing-function of the machine.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view showing certain lever partsemployed to operate clutches of the swing and traction gearing.

' shafts, respectively.

B supporting the swing body A, the boom C, shovel D and-its dipper stickor handle E, and suitable cable means between the machinery on the bodyA and the boom and dipper features. The cable means includes the boomhoist cable I and the crowding out and racking in cable 2,

the former cable leading to a suitable drum 3 on a boom hoist shaft 4and the latter cable leading to a cable drum 5 on the drum shaft 6. Inrear-of the shaft 4 and its supportedparts is disposed a swing andtraction or jackshaft 1 operated by a sprocket chain 8 connected withthe-driving shaft O-of a motor F of any sit table I the rear portion ofthe body and 1 are geared together byl0, and il carriedby said typemounted at A. The shafts 8, 4 means of. gears 9,

fGenerally speaking,- the above partsare conventional parts of cranes ofheretofore known construction.

Describing the features of the invention, and referring particularly toFigures 3 and 4, it will be observed that the swing and traction shaft 1is. equipped with bevel gears spaced meshing with a driven bevel gear I:carried by the swing and traction or dual gear shaft l4 disposedvertically in relation to the shaft 1. The gear I; is fixed to the shafti4 and said shaft. i4 carries a spur gear liloose thereon and in meshwith the toothed gear lli carried by the two-speed shaft II which isdisposed parallel to and forward of the shaft i4. The gear i6 isdirectly supported by a sleeve is rotatable upon the shaft W, saidsleeve in carrying a low speed gear I! near its lower end. The gear l9meshes with a spur and clutch gear 20, the latter having a clutch member2i for cooperation with the clutch member 22 which is carried by thelow- In Figure 1 the crane illustrated is of the I shovel typecomprising the swing body or cab A,

thetraction base including the endless crawlers v ing yoke 23 issupported by a shaft 24 and engaged with the clutch member 2| and gear20 so as to raise or lower said combination member. The shaft 24 has anactuating arm 25 connected by a rod 26 to theclutch operating lever 21which will be located at the lever stand on the platform of the swingbody A of the crane.

The gear it not only meshes with the gear IE but also meshes with theupper swing gear 28 mounted on the swing shaft 29 which parallels theshafts l1 and I! by vertical arrangement, said shaft 29 carrying theswing clutch member 30 cooperative with a clutch member 3| on the hub ofthe gear 28. At its lower end the swing shaft 28 carries the swingpinion 82 that meshes with the swing orturntable gear 33 fixed to the.

apart and I frame 34' of the traction base which is disposed below theframe 35 that forms the base or platform of the swing body A. Thecooperation of the swing pinion 32 with the swing gear 33 is, as usual,for the purpose of causing the rotation of the frame 35 and the cranebody A around the centerpin axis of the machine.

At the centerpin or axis of the machine above referred to is located thevertical traction shaft 36 carrying at its lower end the driven bevelgear 31 meshing with an associated bevel gear 38 on the horizontaldriven traction shaft 39. The traction shaft 36 is equipped with avertically slidable splined gear 40 adapted to engage with the gear 28but movable into an elevated position to unmesh it from said gear andrender it idle. For the purpose of moving the gear 40 it is providedwith a grooved hub 4| with which coacts the yoke of a shipper lever 42disposed at one end of the lever. The lever 42 is carried by a shaft 43and its other end is equipped with a yoke to cooperate to move upwardlyand downwardly the clutch member 30 previously mentioned as the swingclutch. The shaft 43 is operable by a main operating lever 44 located atthe lever stand of the body A.

With the above construction and arrangement of the parts in mind, it isnotable that the swing gear 32 may be operated at either of two speeds,and the traction gears 31 and 38 may likewise be operated at either oftwo speeds. speed differential is obtained by utilizing the gear l5 of alarger size than the gear 20, the gears l8 and I9 coacting with thegears l5 and 20, respectively, and being of different sizes.

It is known to those versed in the art that it is unnecessary for theoperating means for the swinging of the crane body to be used while thecrane is moving under its own traction or power. Therefore, themechanism of the invention has been designed so that the yoke lever 42is shiftable to one position to render the traction gearing operativeand to another position in which the traction gearing is disconnected orinoperative while the swing gearing is rendered operative.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Power from the motor orengine plant of the crane is transmitted to the horizontal swing andtraction shaft 1. The direction of turning of the vertical swing andtraction shaft H by the drive from the traction shaft 1 is controlled byusing one or the other of the gears l2- which mesh with the bevel gearl3 by connecting either of the gears l2 with the jack shaft 1. Powerbeing transmitted in the desired direction to the shaft l4, through theadjustment of suitable clutch .means on the shaft I, if the parts areadjusted according to the positions of Figure 3, the yoke 23 holds thecombined gear and clutch member 20-2! in the low speedpositionof saidparts. Thereby power is transmitted from the shaft I through the gears20 and I3 to the gear l8. At this time the gear I5 is inoperative andidles loosely on the shaft I4. From the gear I6 power is transmitted tothe gear 28 and also to the gear 40 in the position of the parts nowtreated. This is due to the fact that the lever 42 is adjusted so thatthe gear 40 meshes with the gear 28, under which conditions power is Thetwo transmitted for the driving of the vertical traction shaft 36 at thelow speed.

If the yoke lever 42 is tilted so as to raise the gear 40 and lower theclutch member 30, see Figure 3, the drive from the gear l6 will bediscontinued, so far as the traction shaft 36 is concerned, and the gear28 will be connected by the clutch 30 to the swing shaft 29 and causerotation of the swing gear 32 at low speed.

To cause the swing gear 32 to operate at high speed, or correspondinglycause the vertical traction shaft 36 and its gears 31 and 38 to operateat high speed,- the lever 21 is operated to rock the yoke 23 upwards,disengaging the gear 20 from the gear [9 and clutching the clutch member20 with the clutch member 22 of the gear l5. In this manner the gear I5is connected by means of the gear 20, which is slidable or splined onthe shaft 14, to said shaft I4, and driven therefrom to correspondinglytransmit a driving effect to the gears i6, 28, and 40, depending uponthe adjustment or position of the last mentioned gear and the clutch 30.As previously suggested, the driving of the swing and traction gearingdescribed may be reversed by alternately connecting one or the other ofthe bevel gears l2 with the gear 13.

The high speed transmission gear l6 and the low speed transmission gear19, with the sleeve I8, constitute a differential gear set by reason ofthe cooperation of the said gears with the high speed gear l5 and thelow speed gear 20.

Recapitulating the controlling operations of the mechanism described,the high speed gear l5 when rendered operative by raising the parts 20and 2| to clutch the parts 2| and 22 together will permit the driving ofthe swing pinion 32 at the higher speed when the clutch member 30 isdropped into engagement with the clutch element 3|. With the parts soarranged, if the clutch member 2| is disengaged from the member 22 andthe gear 20 lowered to engage the gear IS, the swing pinion 32 will bedriven at the lower speed.

The foregoing operations may of course be entirely independent of anydriving operations between the motor and the traction devices B, but,according to the invention, as previously indicated, the elevation ofthe clutch member 30 will incapacitate or render inoperative the swingmechanism and place in operative condition the traction drivingmechanism so that the two speed gears l5 and 20 may be availed of forthe driving of the vertical traction shaft 36, the horizontal tractionshaft 39, and the traction crawlers B. The two-speed gear mechanism ofthe invention therefore is adapted to perform a dual function asrespects the swinging of the crane body and the traction driving devicesor gearing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a crane of the class described, in combination, a traction base, acrane body revolvably supported on said base, swing gearing for swingingsaid crane body relatively-to the base, comprising a swing shaft,a-swing pinion operable by said shaft, a swing gear on the base coactingwith the swing pinion, a motor, a driven shaft operated by the motor anda plural speed differential gear set interposed between said drivenshaft and the swing shaft, and means for selectively operating the gearsof the differential gear high speed and low speed gears operable by thedriven shaft from the motor, and'means to establish a driving connectionbetween the last mentioned shaft and either one of the high speed andlow speed-gears carried thereby,

2. In a crane of the classdescribed, incombination, a traction base, acrane-body revolvably supported on said base, swing gearing for swingingsaid crane body relatively to the base, comprising a swing shaft, aswing pinion operable by said shaft, a swing gear on the base coactingwith the swing pinion, a motor, a driven shaft operated by the motor anda plural speed from the motor, a driving high speed gear on differentialgear set interposed between said driven shaft and the swing shaft, meansfor selectively operating the gears of the differential gear set fordriving the swing shaft at selected of plural speeds from said drivenshaft, comprising a dual gear shaft operable from the motor by saidmotor driven shaft, 9. high speed gear loose on said dual gear shaft, alow speed gear splined to said dual gear shaft, the last mentioned highspeed gear coacting with the high speed gear of the differential gearset, the low speed gear comprising a clutch for clutching the same tothe high speed gear of the dual gear shaft, and operating means formoving the low speed gear on the dual gear shaft so that it may engagethe low speed gear of the 'difierential gear set and for shifting thelow speed gear on the dual gear shaft into clutched engagement with the;high speed gear on the dual gear shaft, whereby the driving action ofthe dual gear shaft is communicated to the dual gear shaft high speedgear and therefrom to the corresponding gear of-the differential gearset.

3. In a crane of the class described, in comthe dual gear shaftcooperable with the high speed gear of the differential gear set andloosely carried by the'dual. gear shaft, a clutch memher on the highspeed gear of the dual gear shaft, a slidable low speed gear on the dualgear shaft rotatable with said shaft and coacting with the low speedgear of the differential gear set, a clutch member on the slidable lowspeed gear a last mentioned, an operating device for shiftin saidslidable gear so that it engages the low speed gear of the differentialgear set when in one position and for shifting said slidable gear sothat its clutch member is engaged with the clutch member on the highspeed gear on the dual gear shaft, whereby different speeds may becommunicated from the dualgear shaft to the swing pinion through thecooperation of the gears of the differential gear set, a driven gear onthe swing shaft coacting with the high speed gear of the differentialgear set, and means for connecting and disconnecting the driven gear ofthe swing shaft relatively thereto.

5. In a crane of the class described, in combination, a' traction base,a crane body revolvably bination, a traction base, a crane bodyrevolvably supported on said base, swing gearing for swinging said cranebody relatively to the base, comprising a swing shaft. a swing pinionoperable by said shaft, a swing gear on the base coacting supported onsaid base, swing gearing for swing-- ing. said crane body relatively tothe base, comprising a. swing shaft, a'swing pinion operable by saidshaft, a swing gear on the base coacting with the swing pinion, a motor,a driven shaft operated by the motor and a plural speed differwith theswing pinion, a motor, a driven shaft operated by the motor and a pluralspeed differential gear set interposed between said driven shaft and theswing shaft, means for selectively 4 operating the gears of thedifferential gear set for driving the swing shaft at selected of pluralspeeds from said driven shaft, the last mentioned means comprising adual gear shaft operated from the motor, a driving high speed gear onthe dual gear shaft cooperable with the high speed gear of thedifferential gear set and loosely carried by the dual gear shaft, aclutch member on the high speed gear of the dual gear shaft, a slidablelow speed gear on the dual shaft rotatable with said shaft and coactingwith the low speed gear of the differential gear set, a clutch member onthe slidable low speed gear last mentioned, an operating device forshifting said slid able gear so that it engages the low speed gear ofthe differential gear set when in one position and for shifting saidslidable gear so that its clutch member is engaged with the clutchmember on the high speed gear on thedual gear shaft, whereby differentspeeds may be communicated from the dual gear shaft to the swing pinionthrough the cooperation of the gears of the differential gear set.

4. In a crane of the class described, in combination, a traction base, acrane body revolvablysupported on said base, swing gearingforswingential gear set interposed between said driven shaft and the swingshaft, means for selectively operating the gears of the differentialgear set for driving the swing shaft at selected of plural speeds fromsaid driven shaft, the last mentioned means comprising a dual gear shaftoperated from the motor, a driving high speed gear on the dual gearshaft cooperable with the high speed gear of the differential gear setand loosely carried by the dual gear shaft, a clutch member on the highspeed gear of the dual gear shaft, 9. slidable low speed gear 'on thedual gear shaft rotatable with said shaft and coacting with the lowspeed gear of the differential gear set, aclutch member on the slidablelow speed gear last mentioned, an operating device for shifting saidslidable gear so that it engages the low speed gear of the difierentialgear set when in one position and for shifting said slidable gear sothat its clutch member is engaged with the clutch member on the highspeed gear on the dual gear shaft, whereby different speeds may becommunicated from the dual gear shaftto the swing pinion through thecooperation of the gears of the differential gear set, a driven gear onthe swing shaft coacting with the high speed swing shaft in oneposition, with means for simultaneously disconnecting said gear of thetraction shaft from the driven gear on the swing shaft and connectingthe driven gear on the swing shaft with the latter shaft.

6. In a crane, in combination, a crane body, a traction base upon whichthe crane body is rotatably supported, a traction gear on the tractionbase, a swing gear coacting with the traction gear, a swing shaftcarrying the swing gear, a traction shaft parallel to the swing shaftfor driving traction members or the traction base, a gear on each of theswing andtraction shafts, one of said gears being shiftable into and outof meshing relation with the other, clutch neans l0 controlling saidgearing and operatively connected with the shiftable gear for shiftingthe latter so that when the gearing is drivingly connected with thetraction shaft said gearing is inoperative in relation to the swingshaft and vice versa, and two-speed mechanism coacting with said gearingfor driving either the swing shaft or traction shaft at diflerentspeeds.

HOLGER L. mum-I...

